Corpus Christi travel guide

Corpus Christi, United States

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Corpus Christi

Introduction

Corpus Christi is a coastal city in South Texas and the county seat of Nueces County, with portions of the city reaching into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. It is the largest city in Nueces County.

As a coastal destination in the southern part of the state, Corpus Christi gives you a base for exploring the South Texas shoreline and the surrounding county areas.

Before you go

Corpus Christi sits south of the Nueces River, in territory that was disputed during the Mexican-American War, and it was bombarded by Federal gunboats during the Civil War. Much of the old city was destroyed by the 1919 hurricane, so if you're hoping to find remnants of Old Corpus Christi in their original locations, you may be disappointed — though some restored historical buildings survive downtown.

Weather here is an attraction in itself, but it can be very hot. Storms and cold fronts frequently miss the city entirely, leaving it hot, humid and occasionally oppressive, and summers stay hot and humid even when you head closer to the water to cool down a few degrees. Wind off the Gulf of Mexico is nearly always present and sometimes quite strong, which helps cool you at the beach. Winters are very mild, with freezing temperatures exceedingly rare, so you'll almost never need a winter coat and frequently won't even need a light sweater. Note that smoking is prohibited by city ordinance in any enclosed workspace, including restaurants and bars; smoking on outdoor patios and seating areas may be allowed depending on distance from doors, and permitted areas are designated by signs.

Getting there

Most visitors reach Corpus Christi by car. The city sits at the southern end of Interstate 37, roughly two hours south of San Antonio and about two hours north of Brownsville and the Mexican border. From Houston, US-77 runs south through several small towns before connecting with Interstate 37 just west of the city.

Getting around

Corpus Christi blends a classic city-block grid with the curves of the bay and the ship channel, so navigation can be confusing at first. A handful of main roads run across nearly the whole city, though, and you can use them to reorient yourself if you get turned around. The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau publishes up-to-date visitor information, including maps and bus routes.

Where to stay

Most of the places to stay cluster around the marina and downtown, with a few options out on the beach. On North Shoreline Boulevard, a twelve-story tower stands right on the marina; it is unusual for its chain, with views up and down the coast from most rooms, easy access to downtown, and a free breakfast served in a rooftop restaurant. Also downtown, in the Marina District, a four-diamond hotel offers sweeping views of the bay, high-speed wireless internet, and dining at the Republic of Texas Bar and Grill.

Food & drink

Corpus Christi is a good place to eat Gulf seafood, especially shrimp and oysters. For a classic local experience, head to the marina area for the Water Street Oyster Bar, known for fresh daily seafood and a lively happy hour, or try U&I Restaurant for seafood and steaks. On Padre Island, Doc's serves seafood under the JFK Causeway, often with a singer, while the Yardarm Restaurant offers rich, French-style seafood with bay views in a setting where you can still wear shorts. La Playa serves excellent Mexican seafood, and Blackbeard's in North Beach is locally known for its burgers in a family atmosphere. For something different, try Aka Sushi for good sushi, Hu Dat for Vietnamese, Thai Cottage or Thai Spice for Thai, or Island Italian and Padre Pizzeria on Padre Island. Taqueria Jalisco offers good Mexican food in a clean, family atmosphere, and Fajitaville is a three-story dining and entertainment complex on North Beach with fajitas, spirits, and bay views. Niko's serves steaks that are the size of the plate, Wallbangers is known for its burgers in a classic Oldies atmosphere, and B&J's Pizza offers great pizza and sandwiches with an enormous beer selection.

Corpus Christi is also the birthplace of Whataburger, and you can usually find one within five minutes wherever you are in the city; they are renowned for unusually high quality for a fast-food chain. If you prefer to cook for yourself, buy your own seafood from one of the many small, local seafood markets that buy from local fishermen, oystermen, and crabbers. You can also buy shrimp directly off the back of the shrimp boats as they come in with the morning's catch around 11AM at the t-heads downtown on the bayfront. For drinks, Katz 21 Steak & Spirits is a large, classy club with bands playing light or classic rock, Latin music, blues, or jazz. D'Lounge is classy and upscale, a wonderful place to relax. Rockit's Whiskey Bar & Saloon downtown has great blues and rock bands in a bluesy atmosphere. The Executive Surf Club at William and Chaparral is a Corpus Christi classic with well-known south Texas bands on an enclosed patio, excellent food such as burgers and shrimp poor-boys, and a great selection of beers on tap. The Pelican Lounge on Padre Island offers good food and bands, Texas hold'em tournaments every week, and pool tables and shuffleboard. Dewey's serves beer and has a pool table, while The Keg Room is a nice neighborhood bar that has been around forever, and Murdy's is a sports bar with a few dozen TV screens and several pool tables.

What to see and do

Most visitors come to Corpus Christi for the water, and the bayfront is the place to start. Along Shoreline Drive, concrete steps lead down to the water's edge, and the walk stretches for over two miles from Magee Beach past the Marina and T-heads, the American Bank Center, and on to the Art Museum of South Texas and the port. It's a fine route for a family evening stroll or an early-morning run, and you may find vendors selling cotton candy or renting pedicabs and pediboats. Festivals including Buccaneer Days and Fourth of July celebrations bring fireworks over the water, and many of the city's best-known restaurants sit a block away on Water Street. Scattered along the bayfront are the miradors, small gazebo-like structures with plaques on local history, named from the Spanish for "one who looks" — pleasant spots to rest in the shade. One of them, Mirador de la Flor, memorializes Selena Quintanilla Perez with a life-size bronze statue.

The city's museums tend to surprise visitors. The Art Museum of South Texas, the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, and the Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures and Education Center all sit near the downtown waterfront, while the Texas State Aquarium offers water-related exhibits and creatures — you can even work with a dolphin trainer if you arrange it ahead of time. Moored in the bay, the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay lets you explore a WWII aircraft carrier, its naval life, and its aircraft complement. For art, the Art Center of Corpus Christi holds work by local and largely unknown artists, with a water garden in front, and K Space Contemporary Gallery in the historic Kress Building showcases local, regional, and national contemporary art. The Corpus Christi Cathedral, on the bluff overlooking downtown, is among the city's best-known churches. Inland, the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center is worth a stop, and small parks such as Artesian Park dot the city — the latter reportedly haunted, if that's your interest.

Beaches are the main draw, with miles of warm sand that are easily accessible though often crowded. Corpus Christi Beach on North Beach is small but usually uncrowded and convenient to the aquarium and the Lexington; Cole Park sits along Ocean Drive just south of downtown; and Magee Beach is downtown on Shoreline Drive near the Marina. The barrier islands just off the coast, Mustang Island and Padre Island, are less than half an hour from town and offer plenty of recreation. Birdwatching is excellent here on the central flyway, a major migration route, and windsurfers head to Bird Island Basin on Padre Island National Seashore. Sailboat races run every Wednesday, and Hurricane Alley is a small waterpark on North Beach.

For spectator sports, the Corpus Christi Hooks play AA-level minor league baseball from March through September at Whataburger Field near downtown, with views of the bridge and ship channel. The Corpus Christi IceRays play ice hockey in the American Bank Center during winter and spring, and the Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders field NCAA Division I teams — though not in football.

When to go

Corpus Christi is hot and humid for much of the year, so plan around the heat rather than hoping to escape it. Summers are the toughest stretch: daytime heat indices climb high, nights stay warm and muggy, and extreme heat and humidity can push conditions even further. The saving grace is the water — heading closer to the shore cools things a few degrees, and the nearly constant Gulf wind helps, especially at the beach.

Winters, by contrast, are very mild. Freezing temperatures are exceedingly rare, and you will almost never need a winter coat — often not even a light sweater. Storms and cold fronts frequently miss the city entirely, making the cooler months an easy time to be outdoors.

Three days in Corpus Christi

Day one: Start in Old Corpus Christi, where the city's history runs from the Mexican and American War through the Federal period and the Civil War. The Nueces River and Nueces County shape the setting, with Aransas, Kleberg and San Patricio nearby in South Texas. Weather here is mild in winters, but storms and wind off the Gulf of Mexico are part of life, so plan around them.

Day two: Use the Gulf and the bay for a day on the water and along the shore. Wind and storms can change plans quickly, so keep your schedule flexible. Much of the appeal is simply being outside in the South Texas light.

Day three: Reach Corpus Christi by air or road. Corpus Christi International Airport is served by American Eagle, United Express and Southwest Airlines, with connections through Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston George Bush Intercontinental and Houston Hobby; fares vary. By car, Interstate links the city with San Antonio and Brownsville, and from Houston it is a straightforward drive. San Antonio International Airport is another option.

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